The ‘5 Pandemics’ of COVID; Racism at Doctors Without Borders; $878M Opioid Trial

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“Five pandemics” have driven the 1 million U.S. deaths from COVID-19: the earlier vs later cases; older vs younger; unvaccinated vs vaccinated; rural vs urban; and poorer vs wealthier. (STAT)

Legal challenges to pandemic public health rules are threatening the influence of the CDC and other health authorities. (Politico)

The World Health Organization says at least 3,000 people in Ukraine have died due to lack of needed treatment for chronic diseases. (Reuters)

Doctors Without Borders is attempting to address racism within its ranks after current and former staffers reported hundreds of instances of discrimination and abuse. (NPR)

As of Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID toll was 82,011,514 cases and 999,475 deaths, increases of 84,487 and 667, respectively, from this time yesterday morning.

CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart face a first-of-its-kind trial to determine what the pharmacy chains owe for their role in the opioid epidemic. The trial is focused on two Ohio counties, which are seeking $878 million. (Reuters)

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra declared the ongoing wildfires in New Mexico a public health emergency.

National addiction treatment locators, such as FindTreatment.gov, may have critical flaws including inaccurate data. (Kaiser Health News)

Meanwhile, pediatricians are now holding the front lines of a mental health crisis. (New York Times)

About 1 in 6 children used telemedicine in the latter half of 2020, according to a new report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Hundreds of healthcare workers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center began a 5-day strike over low wages as well as staff and patient safety concerns. (ABC7)

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she won’t enforce her state’s 1931 abortion law if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. (NPR)

After Texas passed a strict anti-abortion law last year, more women have been going to unregulated pharmacies in Mexico to obtain abortion pills. (NPR)

Tesla will cover travel costs for employees to receive healthcare not offered in the states they reside. That appears to include abortions. (CNBC)

Privacy experts worry about how data collected from period-tracking apps could be used to penalize individuals seeking an abortion. (NPR)

New draft guidance for industry suggests the FDA may in some cases allow unresolved quality issues to be addressed after a drug’s approval.

Mixing high blood pressure drugs with ibuprofen may cause permanent kidney damage, according to research from the University of Waterloo.

Few families sought federal payment for COVID-19 funeral expenses. (NPR)

Stephen Colbert, who recently returned to “The Late Show” after having COVID-19, had to cancel the taping of new episodes, citing “a recurrence” of the virus. (Los Angeles Times)